Thesis (M.A.)--Rowan University, 2007. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Sexual assault is a wide public health problem given the number of people who are sexually assaulted. Sexual assault affects the psychological well being of people who experience it.The most common reported psychological problems are PTSD and depressive symptoms especially after four to six weeks post sexual assault.These Co morbid disorders affect the normal functioning of an individual such home chores, work and increase mortality rate among sexual assaulted survivors. It was also documented that coping strategies (maladaptive or adaptive) employed by sexual assaulted survivors are the one that determine their recovery.Hence, there was a need to investigate the correlation between coping strategies, the level of PTSD and the level of depression in Ngaka Modiri Molema in the North West Province of South Africa. The study aimed to investigate correlation between coping strategies and the levels of PTSD and depression among sexual assaulted survivors. Correlational cross-sectional design was used in this study.Sample size of 115 of sexually assaulted participants between the age of 18 and 50 was determined through the use of Raosoft calculator. PCL for PTSD, BDI and brief COPE instruments were used to collect data. Information about socio demographic was also obtained.Data analysis was done through frequency distribution to describe the demographic data, levels of PTSD and depression.Data were also analysed through Pearson correlations to determine the possible relationship between coping, PTSD and depressive symptoms. ANOVA, chi-square, cross tabulation were also done to determine the possible relationship between demographic data, level of PTSD and depression. Results showed high level of PTSD and low level of depression among sexual assaulted survivors.They have also showed that there is no relationship between coping strategies and PTSD, and that there was a relationship between coping and depressive symptoms.These findings indicate that coping strategies cannot be regarded as one the factors that can control the non-development and development of PTSD, but could be regarded as one the factors that can account to development and non development of depression. / Thesis (M Cur) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2013

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wyoming, 2007. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Nov. 3, 2008). Includes bibliographical references (p. 31-39).

M.A. / The prevalence of rape in the world and particularly in South Africa, calls for the understanding of the factors involved in rape. In particular, it is necessary to understand rape in terms of the victim, not just in terms of the prevalence, causes and social consequences of rape. The victim’s experience of rape is complicated and takes place over a journey that progresses from the assault, through her responses and psychological and social reactions to her recovery from the trauma. It is imperative that a clear understanding of previous research is gained in order to understand the existing epistemological picture of the rape victim’s experience. This dissertation has intended to achieve this understanding by reviewing the literature that has explored rape victim’s responses after the rape, the psychological and social impact the rape has had and the recovery process after the rape. In each of these instances the factors that are identified by research as influencing the rape victim’s experience are surveyed. The victim’s responses to rape are traumatic. It is therefore important to understand the nature of trauma and in particular Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Rape Trauma Syndrome (RTS) in particular describes the traumatic responses of a rape victim. There are factors that influence the extent that the victim experiences responses to a rape. These factors include the extent to which a victim is believed about the rape, the extent to which it is thought that the victim precipitated the assault. Her own attributions about the rape will also influence her responses, as well as the nature of the assault, the level of violence, prior victimisation, past psychological treatment or mental illness, poor social support and other life stresses experienced at the same time as the rape. The victim does not only respond to the traumatic experience after a rape, but may also experience the psychological impact a rape may have. Reactions such as fear, anxiety, anger, aggression, guilt, shame, doubt, depression and psychopathology may be experienced as psychological reactions to a rape. The victim may also experience the impact a rape can have on her social functioning. She may withdraw socially and experience problems in her sexual functioning. The research reviewed indicated that there are factors that influence the extent that these reactions may impact on the victim’s life, if at all. These factors include: participation in the justice system, social support received after the rape, 8 cognitive appraisals made by the victim and possible psychological problems prior to the assault. The final part of a victim’s journey is the recovery. Recovery can be described the psychological work that is required by the victim. As with the responses and reactions that a rape victim experiences, the recovery process is also a journey that is dependent on many influencing factors. The factors that are identified as influencing the recovery process of the victim, both by enhancing it and by hindering it, include: demographic variables of the victim, previous victimisation, functioning before the rape (including chronic life stress and family grief, the nature of the assault, the relationship of the victim to the assailant, social support received after the rape, and the meaning the victim gives to the ordeal. This study of the existing literature concerning the journey of the rape victim through the responses she has after the rape, to the impact of the rape on her psychological and social functioning, to her recovery has highlighted the importance of influencing factors on this journey. It has also been noted by this study that there is a lack of evidence that can shed light on the factors that may influence the South African rape victim’s experience.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-143). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-143). Also available on the Internet.

Recently, expert testimony in sexual assault trials shifted from an emphasis on Rape Trauma Syndrome (RTS) to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and experts have tied these diagnoses either loosely or tightly to the victim’s condition following sexual assault. In the current study, 326 jury-eligible adults completed a survey on Amazon Mechanical Turk in which they read a synopsis of a sexual assault trial and an expert testimony with either RTS, PTSD or neither; along with either no, loose, or tight links made between the diagnosis and the victim’s condition. There was no main effect of diagnosis label but testimony linkage did have an effect on verdicts. Women gave more guilty verdicts due to their lower levels of Rape Myth Acceptance (RMA), and the effect of gender partially depended on RMA. Implications for how expert testimony can affect defendants’ and plaintiffs’ credibility are discussed.

Thesis (D.M.A.) -- Shenandoah University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

The prevalence of rape in South Africa has reached epidemic proportions. The experience of shame in a rape victim may impact on issues such as disclosure and avoidance (which increases posttraumatic stress severity (PSS)). It is also known that other cognitive vulnerabilities such as anxiety sensitivity, rumination, looming cognitive style, and attribution style impacts the severity of traumatic stress. These vulnerabilities overlap with the experience of shame conceptually. It remains unclear whether shame has a direct relationship with severity or whether it influences other dynamics that eventually contributes to increases in (PSS). 37 female adult rape survivors from a local NGO completed a biographical questionnaire and a variety of quantitative measures of shame (Experience of Shame Scale (ESS)), PSS (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire – Revised (HTQ-R)), anxiety sensitivity (Anxiety Sensitivity Index – 3(ASI-3)), rumination (Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ)), looming cognitive style (Looming Maladaptive Style Questionnaire (LMSQ)), and attribution style (Attribution Style Questionnaire (ASQ)). Initial explorations were done to determine the cross-group equivalence of these measures since it was the first time some of them were used in South Africa (and exclusively on rape survivors). The construct, semantic, and metric equivalence findings are reported for each measure. In this regard all measures apart from the ASQ had good internal consistency but factor analyses indicated that the measures are more reasonably seen to measure single factor constructs rather than the configuration presupposed by the constituent subscales. The evidence indicates that total scores may be used with some confidence in the construct validity and internal consistency of these measures (with the exception of the ASQ), but that subscale scores should not be over interpreted. Furthermore, the presence of cognitive constructs within the sample was explored and it was found that high levels of shame, PSS, and the cognitive vulnerabilities were present. Finally a multiple regression and concomitant analyses indicated that only knowing the perpetrator had any influence on the variables under study and that shame and rumination accounted for the largest amount of variance in PSS.

This research aims to investigatethe relationship between rape survivors levels of distress, coping style, health profile and immune system. Psychoneuroimmunology, an interdisciplinary field of study, is employed as a framework to understand the relationship between the levels of distress, coping style, health profile and the immune system A sample of 36 rape survivors was initially recruited for this study. However data collected from a sample of 12 female rape survivors was selected for this research. These participants completed questionnaires measuring levels of distress, impact of the event, recent life changes and health profile at time 1 (5 days post rape), time 2 (15 days post rape) and time 3 (35 days post rape) . the immunological measures included CD 3, CD 4, CD 8, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils, lymphocytes, white cell count, platelets and mv(time 1 only). The results revealed significant relationships between levels of distress and immune parameters; health profile and immune parameters; ways of coping and immune parameters and levels of distress and immune parameters. Significant differences were obtained for CD 4 5 (p= 0.039) between time 1 and time 2, as well as between time 2 and time 3. A significant difference (p = 0.039) was noted for platelets between time 2 and time 3. The levels of distress were raised at time 2. Observation ofeach participant revealed no dramatic changes across time 1, 2 and 3. When a person is subjected to rape, heightened levels of distress are experienced 15 days post rape. Rape survivors experience changes in the levels of distress , health profile, ways of coping and immune parameters over a 35 days post rape period. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.